Do you think people can be alone?

Can people be alone for a long time?
I know human are social beings but that doesn't automatically mean that you can't be on their own, right?
My biology teacher told me that human can't be alone for a long time (think about years), but there are plently of people who are.
What's your opinion on this?
I really wanna know, it's interesting :-).

Comments

Well, it depends on what you mean by 'alone'. Some people consider being unmarried or widowed and without kids as alone, but that is truly different from being cut off from all human contact. That, to me, is truly alone, and I agree with your biology teacher, that humans are social creatures and isolation has detremental effects on us.

There have been studies done on prisoners in the United States who were isolated in solitary confinement over years, and it was shown to have had effects on their mental well being. And while these prisoners were isolated, they weren't completely cut off from all human contact, for they still interacted with prison guards during meal times. The interaction however, was limited, and certainly not enough to satisfy our innate need to socialize on some level with others.

I do think there are some exceptions, however, such as the rare individuals who seek isolation as part of a spiritual path, but that is something completely different from the every day person like you and me. :-)

Well, it depends on what you mean by 'alone'. Some people consider being unmarried or widowed and without kids as alone, but that is truly different from being cut off from all human contact. That, to me, is truly alone, and I agree with your biology teacher, that humans are social creatures and isolation has detremental effects on us.

There have been studies done on prisoners in the United States who were isolated in solitary confinement over years, and it was shown to have had effects on their mental well being. And while these prisoners were isolated, they weren't completely cut off from all human contact, for they still interacted with prison guards during meal times. The interaction however, was limited, and certainly not enough to satisfy our innate need to socialize on some level with others.

I do think there are some exceptions, however, such as the rare individuals who seek isolation as part of a spiritual path, but that is something completely different from the every day person like you and me. :-)

Well, it depends on what you mean by 'alone'. Some people consider being unmarried or widowed and without kids as alone, but that is truly different from being cut off from all human contact. That, to me, is truly alone, and I agree with your biology teacher, that humans are social creatures and isolation has detremental effects on us.

There have been studies done on prisoners in the United States who were isolated in solitary confinement over years, and it was shown to have had effects on their mental well being. And while these prisoners were isolated, they weren't completely cut off from all human contact, for they still interacted with prison guards during meal times. The interaction however, was limited, and certainly not enough to satisfy our innate need to socialize on some level with others.

I do think there are some exceptions, however, such as the rare individuals who seek isolation as part of a spiritual path, but that is something completely different from the every day person like you and me. :-)

Firstly, you should define what the meaning of "alone". Someone said that you will be alone if you without a health social live. Is it true? I say No. Eventually, a health social live can help someone to build up their social network and thereby many friends be with you. However, is it real friend? If not, you must still feel alone. If yes, you may also feel alone. For this sample, this shows that alone or not is depends on what your feelings.